Alaska State Legislature
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Legislative Leaders Name Interim Committee Members

For Immediate Release: June 29, 1998

Juneau – On Monday, Senate President Mike Miller and House Speaker Gail Phillips announced the legislative members who will serve on five joint interim committees established by the Twentieth Alaska State Legislature.

"We have our work cut out for us," said Senator Miller. "These committees will address difficult issues ranging from long-term care for aging Alaskans, insurance parity for the mentally ill to electric utility restructuring."

"Our goal through these legislative committees is to research important issues facing Alaska, take public comment and suggestions, and present our findings to future legislatures to help in the formation of viable state policy," said Speaker Phillips.

Legislative committee appointees and summaries follow:

Joint Committee on Electric Utility Restructuring

This committee was established to provide the Twenty-First Legislature written recommendations on whether and how to implement electric utility restructuring in Alaska. Adequate, reliable, and reasonably priced electrical energy is essential to the daily functions, safety and economic well being of Alaskans. Because restructuring of the electric utility industry is a highly complex issue under deliberation by the Congress and other states, legislators have formed the committee to research the implications and ramifications of such restructuring in order to make informed decisions.

The Committee will be comprised of eight legislative members including Senators Robin Taylor, Bert Sharp, Loren Leman and Al Adams, and Representatives Norman Rokeberg, Fred Dyson, Alan Austerman and John Davies. Co-Chairs of the committee are Representative Norm Rokeberg and Senator Bert Sharp.

Joint Committee on Military Bases in Alaska

The eleven-member Joint Committee on Military Bases was established as a permanent interim committee to monitor the activities of the federal Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission. The committee will work to strengthen the military presence in Alaska, and, if the BRAC process is reauthorized, work with the Pentagon, the Administration, and affected communities in Alaska to protect future Alaska bases from closure. The committee shall prepare and submit a report of its activities to the Twenty-Second Alaska State Legislature.

The Committee will be comprised of eight legislative members and three non-legislative members. Legislative Members include Senators Tim Kelly, Gary Wilken, Al Adams, and Randy Phillips, and Representatives Pete Kelly, Eldon Mulder, Richard Foster and Reggie Joule. Co-Chairs of the committee are Representative Pete Kelly and Senator Tim Kelly.

Task Force on Census and Redistricting

This four-member task force will track census and redistricting issues on behalf of the Legislature. The task force will work cooperatively with the U.S. Bureau of the Census, the Department of Labor and other entities and officials involved in the census-taking process. The goal will be to report back to the House and Senate information that will facilitate the Legislature’s understanding of census data, redistricting, and anticipated legal issues surrounding the process.

Legislative members include Senators Drue Pearce and Lyman Hoffman, and Representatives Pete Kott and Kim Elton. Co-Chairs of the task force are Representative Pete Kott and Senator Drue Pearce.

Task Force on Parity for Mental Health

This nine-member task force will examine the issue of mental health parity in health insurance policies. The task force will study approaches taken by other states and will make recommendations to the Legislature on how to increase parity between mental and physical illnesses. It will be funded through the Mental Health Trust, which has allocated $50,000 to the task force and will not require any state general funds.

Legislative members include Senators John Torgerson and Johnny Ellis, and Representatives Gary Davis and Tom Brice. Co-Chairs of the task force are Representative Gary Davis and Senator John Torgerson.

Long-Term Care Task Force

The Long-Term Care Task Force is charged with developing an equitable plan for providing sound and affordable long-term care for Alaska’s senior citizens. The Task Force will review findings of a working group established by the Legislature in 1996 to analyze long-term care services available in the state and their projected costs. After reviewing recommendations made by the group, the task force will perform the following duties: prepare a plan that identifies needed legislation; prepare drafts of legislation necessary to implement the plan; propose funding options; hold public hearing on the plan; finalize the plan and present it to the Legislature and the Governor at the start of the Twenty-First Legislature’s first session.

The Task Force will consist of nine voting members including the following legislative appointees:

Senators Gary Wilken, Bert Sharp and Lyman Hoffman, and Representatives Con Bunde, Joe Ryan, and Albert Kookesh. Co-Chairs of the task force are Representative Con Bunde and Senator Gary Wilken.

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